    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [November 10, 2004]
    [Pages 2958-2959]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Nomination of Alberto R. Gonzales To Be Attorney General
    November 10, 2004

        Good afternoon. I'm pleased to announce my nomination of Judge Al
    Gonzales to be the Attorney General of the United States. This is the
    fifth time I have asked Judge Gonzales to serve his fellow citizens, and
    I am very grateful he keeps saying yes.
        A decade ago, when I was elected Governor of Texas, I asked Al to be
    my general counsel. He went on to distinguished service as Texas's
    secretary of state and as a justice of the Texas Supreme Court.
        Since I arrived in Washington 4 years ago, he has served with skill
    and integrity in the White House as Counsel to the President. I have
    counted on Al Gonzales to help select the best nominees for the Federal
    courts, one of the President's most important responsibilities.
        His sharp intellect and sound judgment have helped shape our
    policies in the war on terror, policies designed to protect the security
    of all Americans, while protecting the rights of all Americans. As the
    top legal official on the White House staff, he has led a superb team of
    lawyers and has upheld the highest standards of government ethics. My
    confidence in Al was high to begin with; it has only grown with time.
        Over the past decade, I've also come to know the character of this
    man. He always gives me his frank opinion. He is a calm and steady voice
    in times of crisis. He has an unwavering principle, a respect for the

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    law, and he and Becky are dear friends of
    Laura and my--of me, and I'm also very friendly
    with Graham and Gabriel Gonzales.
        My newest Cabinet nominee grew up in a two-bedroom house in Texas
    with his parents and seven siblings. Al's mother and dad, Pablo and
    Maria, were migrant workers who never
    finished elementary school, but they worked hard to educate their
    children and to instill the values of reverence and integrity and
    personal responsibility. These good people lived to see their son, Al,
    study at Rice University and Harvard Law School. Maria still lives in
    Humble, Texas, in the house her husband built, and I can only imagine
    how proud she is today of her son, Al.
        Serving as Attorney General is one of the most challenging duties in
    our Government. As the Nation's chief law enforcement officer, Al will
    continue our administration's great progress in fighting crime, in
    strengthening the FBI, in improving our domestic efforts in the war on
    terror. As a steward of civil rights laws, he will ensure that Americans
    are protected from discrimination so that each person has the
    opportunity to live the American Dream, as Al himself has done.
        With the Senate's approval, Judge Gonzales will succeed another
    superb public servant, Attorney General John Ashcroft. Attorney General Ashcroft has served with excellence
    during a demanding time. In 4 years, he's reorganized the Department of
    Justice to meet the new threat of terrorism. He's fairly and forcefully
    applied the PATRIOT Act and helped to dismantle terror cells inside the
    United States. During his watch, violent crime has dropped to a 30-year
    low and prosecutions of crimes committed with guns have reached an
    alltime high. Drug use amongst our students is down. Confidence in the
    financial markets has been restored because the Attorney General
    aggressively prosecuted corporate fraud. And thanks to John Ashcroft's
    leadership, America has stepped up its efforts to prosecute the cruel
    exploitation of children by Internet pornographers. The Nation is safer
    and more just today because John Ashcroft has served our country so
    well.
        I'm committed to strong, principled leadership at the Department of
    Justice, and Judge Al Gonzales will be that kind of leader as America's
    80th Attorney General. I urge the Senate to act promptly on this
    important nomination. I look forward to welcoming my great friend to the
    Cabinet.
        Congratulations.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:40 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Rebecca Gonzales, wife of
    Attorney General-designate Alberto R. Gonzales. The transcript released
    by the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of
    Attorney General-designate Gonzales. The Office of the Press Secretary
    also released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.